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April 20, 2010
A Cup of Cowgirl InspirationThe Lord's Prayer
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy name.Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 (
KJV )
April 3, 2010
A Cup of Cowgirl InspirationHE IS RISEN
(Originally written for
Easter of 2009.) All day long, this song has gone over and over in my mind....and it's for that reason, I think this devotional
needs to be repeated!
HE IS RISEN
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek
Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:5-6
KJV
Wow, Isn’t it great to
know that Jesus lives. Easter is such a wonderful time to reflect on God’s love. He sent His only son, Jesus, to
die on a cross, so that we might have redemption for our sins.
Praise God, His plan didn’t stop there. It
included His son, Jesus rising from the dead.
When I was young, I remember singing this song in church
many times. I think of it often and especially at Easter.
Rev. A. H. Ackley wrote it in 1933.
HE LIVES
I serve a risen Savior,
He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His
voice of cheer,
And
just the time I need Him, He’s always near.
(chorus)
He lives, He lives Christ Jesus Lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me
along life’s narrow way.
He
lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my
heart.
I have to agree with Rev. Ackley. I know Jesus lives because He lives within
my heart.
Friend, if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus,
Easter would be a perfect time to ask Him into your heart. He’ll forgive you for all your sins and change your life
forever.
May God bless you all during
this Easter Season!
Dear Lord, Thank you for what Easter means to me personally. I know you live
Lord, because you live within my heart! Amen.
Until Next Time, Happy Trails and May the Good Lord Take a Liken to You.
10:55 pm
December 17, 2009
A Cup of Cowgirl InspirationChristmas Traditions
That Last Forever
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which
you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 2 Thessalonians
2:15 NKJV
Merriam -Webster defines tradition as the handing down of beliefs
and customs by word of mouth or by example without written instruction.
My family has Christmas traditions that
we include during every holiday season. Many of these traditions include decorations and cooking wonderful recipes that have
been passed down for generations.
The first family Christmas decorating tradition that I can ever remember is a
clear glass golden ornament or ball that belongs to my mother. She got this ornament when she was 4 years old and it has hung
on her Christmas tree for the past 64 years.
Every year, since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I can remember
my sisters and I carefully unwrapping mom’s golden ornament and placing it delicately on the Christmas tree. It always
brought about such a special anticipation for us girls; just knowing that mom had kept it all those years.
Another decorating tradition is one that mom for some reason gladly passed on to me when I grew up and moved
out on my own. I’m not quite sure why this family Christmas heirloom decoration was one that mom felt she could part
with. It’s a beautiful Christmas tree that stands 12” tall and 6” wide.
It’s one of those “must be out” Christmas decorations that I carefully
place in a special location every year. After seeing it, I’m sure you’ll understand why mom so graciously passed
it on to me.
Okay, I admit it; it wasn’t purchased from Dillards or Macy’s Department store. I can’t even tell
you that it came from K’Mart or Wal-Mart. The truth is I made it over 37 years ago, when I was in the 5th grade.
It’s a piece of rolled up poster board in the shape of a tree and it’s
covered in rolled up pieces of brown paper towels that I painted with green tempra paint. (Yes, I’m fully aware of the
fact that those brown paper towels and tempra paint kind of hints at my age.)
I
also used foil-wrapping paper that was cut into different shapes for shiny ornaments. Merry Christmas is spelled out along
the bottom of the tree with sparkling glitter. For a 5th grader, it was a piece of art.
That hand-made gift given to mom when I was eleven years old was one of those rare priceless gifts that she felt should
be shared with one of her children. The actual truth is mom insisted that I take the tree or else…
I
guess every family has traditions that bring smiles, laughter and sometimes-even tears.
When the holidays are in full swing, it's so easy to get caught up in
the material part of Christmas. At times, I get overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of the season. When
that happens, I have to stop, take a deep breath and remind myself of the true meaning of Christmas and also of the traditions
that are most important to me.
The
greatest Christmas tradition that I have ever been given was passed down to me from my Grandma & Grandpa Banks. I’ve found over the years that not many families share
this gift that my Grandparents so wisely gave.
When I was a little girl, my family, which included aunts, uncles and lots of cousins
gathered in Grandma and Grandpa's living room. All of us kids were scattered in the floor under our parent’s
feet with lots of presents scattered under the Christmas tree. Needless to say, us kids couldn't wait to get our hands on
those pretty wrapped packages. We learned quickly, however, that opening presents was not top priority in Grandma’s
Christmas plans.
My Grandma Lois (yes, just
like Timothy’s grandmother in the Bible) was the greatest woman of faith I have ever known. Grandma instilled
that faith in her children and grandchildren everyday of her life and Christmas time was no exception.
Grandma wouldn’t allow
us to open any present without first taking time for Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas. Grandpa would take out his
big black Bible and read from Luke the 2nd chapter. All of us kids listened intently as Grandpa told the Christmas story about
Baby Jesus being born in a manager in Bethlehem.
After reading God’s Word, we would pray. Sometimes, it
was just a short prayer. Other times, however, it was a long prayer... and for a kid waiting to open up presents, it seemed
like eternity.
We finally got to open presents, but not until
Grandma felt like we had truly praised, worshiped and thanked God for the wonderful gift of His Son. As our family grew, we had to move our Christmas gathering to a community
center. The number of presents under the Christmas tree grew too along with Grandma’s family tradition.
Many times, it was still Grandpa reading from the 2nd
chapter of Luke, but other times, we had a real church service. Coming from a family with several ministers and one Missionary
often meant our family gatherings would include a family church service. Singing, preaching, sharing a testimony, praying
for the needs of our family and praising God became a regular part of every Christmas.
We learned at a very early age that Christmas time with our family would never be about presents
under a Christmas tree, but about the PRESENCE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.
Grandma went home to be with the Lord in 1998 and Grandpa, now 93 years old lives
in a nursing home. The legacy they gave to our family is truly a rare and priceless gift.
I can't begin to tell you what an impact that Christmas tradition has meant
to me. Grandma’s Christmas tradition was instilled deep inside of our hearts and it continues every Christmas season.
We all know that inviting the presence of our Lord and Savior to our Christmas celebration will be the first priority
before any present under the tree is ever opened.
The gift that my Grandparent’s
gave me, I now give to each of you.
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have
I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…. Acts 3:6 KJV
Remember friend; the presence of our Lord and Savior is the greatest present of all that you can give
to your family.
Dear Heavenly
Father, Thank you for this blessed Christmas Season. Thank you for the wonderful traditions that have been passed down throughout
the years, like mom’s golden ornament and even my Christmas tree from 5th grade. Most of all, I thank you
for sending us your Son, Jesus. There is no greater present than your presence in my heart and my life. Help me to always
share your love and your presence with others. Amen.
Merry Christmas friend and May the peace of our Lord and Savior be with
you during this blessed Holyday Season. Until Next time, Happy Trails and May
the good Lord Take a Likin to you! Tracy “Bobo”
Banks
November 24, 2009
A Cup of Cowgirl InspirationA Heart of Thanksgiving
& Praise Enter
into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:5 KJV
When I was little girl, I use to look forward to
the Thanksgiving Holidays. Thanksgiving
meant getting out of school for several days…yahoo! It also meant my aunts, uncles and lots of cousins were coming
to town.
I remember singing songs that went something like, “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s
house, we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the high and drifted snow…” or “We gather
together to ask the Lord's blessings. He hastens and chastens His will to make known…”
I was born and raised in the West Texas town of Snyder,
with a population of approximately 10,000. At Thanksgiving, every year, the local churches gathered together
for a city wide Thanksgiving service. I was so amazed to see people from so many
different churches gather into one church singing praises and offering Thanks to our Heavenly Father.
As a child, those city wide Thanksgiving services touched
something deep within my heart. It was at that moment; I realized it didn’t matter if you were Assembly of God, Baptist,
Methodist, Pentecostal, Church of God, Church of Christ, Catholic or any other denomination. The only thing that mattered
was that this large group of people gathered together, putting all their differences aside to
give thanks to the Lord above.
I have so many childhood
memories of Thanksgiving that I will always cherish.
Okay, let’s fast forward…a few years…okay,
I’ll be honest about it…probably around 40 years…or so…
Today, I attend an Interdenominational-faith
church, with Sunday morning service attendance running approximately 1000 - 1200 people. There are many different
denominations and backgrounds in our church, yet they all come together for one purpose, to praise the Lord and offer thanks
for all the wonderful things He has done.
The thanksgiving list is amazing: Salvation, Total and Complete
Forgiveness, Freedom from Sin and Addictions, Healings of Cancer, Healings of other sicknesses and diseases, Healings of broken
hearts, Miracles, Financial blessings, Restoration of Families, Friends and other relationships, Family Blessings, Blessings
of Friendship, Blessings, Blessings and more Blessings….
Friend,
spend some time with your Heavenly Father during this Thanksgiving holiday season. Enter into His courts with true Thanksgiving
in your hearts and offer up praise to the one who is worthy to be praised.
Sing the
old hymn with me now..."Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, See what God has done;
Count your blessings...name them one by one; COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE."
Dear Lord, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and praise. I come to you today with
a heart full of Thanksgiving. Thank you Lord for all the many blessings in my life. I love you. Amen.
Until
Next time, Happy Trails and May the good Lord take a liken to you.
10:08 am
October 24, 2009
A Cup of Cowgirl Inspiration The
Father Holds Your Future
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 23:8
Pop star, Michael Jackson’s recent unexpected death left
many questions unanswered.
Who would have guardianship over his three children? Who
would be the beneficiary of the vast inheritance that he left behind?
As a Christian, you can
feel secure in knowing that God holds the answers to all questions pertaining to your future.
In Romans 8, we are told
that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God. You have received a Spirit of sonship or adoption giving
you the ultimate right to call upon God as your Father.
The benefits package that comes along with
being a child of God is enormous. They include not only an eternal future, but also an inheritance of great rewards.
It’s a wonderful
feeling knowing that God is your Father and that you are His child. You can rest assured that your future with
your Heavenly Father is a done deal and your hope in God is guaranteed.
Dear Lord, Thank you for holding my
future in your hands. Amen.
Recommended Reading:Romans 8:10-17
Happy Trails and May The Good Lord Take a Liken to You!
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